If you needed any proof that Apple is getting very serious about its foray into live sports, a couple of announcements this week really put a damper on its ambitions.
First, there’s a completely native new sports app called Apple Sports, which will be exclusive to the iPhone to begin with. Inverse Deputy editor Raymond Wong wrote all about it here if you want to know more, but the bottom line is this: you can follow your favorite team, scores and in-game stats in real time, such as fouls, goals or substitutions. You’ll even get – please hold your breath – betting odds. It’s a real app designed and ready for iPhone users everywhere, and it’s also Apple’s first truly dedicated sports app ever.
But the deepening of the live sports offer does not stop there.
Apple Sports deals with statistics and betting, but not with streaming.
Apple
Apple’s MLS Season Pass — which, for the uninitiated, is its Major League Soccer streaming service that exists inside Apple TV+ — has also received quite a few new features. These include additional content, highlights and game information. I got a sneak peek from Apple this week and can confirm that the MLS Season Pass looks and feels even more like a real sports streaming service.
So it’s clear: Apple is serious about its role in providing live sports content. But there’s just one big problem with that: none of his ideas play as a team, or at least not yet.
Too many stars
If you find it strange that Apple’s new sports app doesn’t include the one thing most people want to do with sports (watch them), well, I share your sentiments — but here we are.
And as useful as a dedicated sports app might be in theory in combining everything Apple has to offer in live athletics in one place, its constellation of sports offerings is still a problem. There’s MLB streaming on Apple TV+, then there’s the MLS Season Pass, which is a separate tab within Apple TV+ and a separate subscription on top of that, and now there’s a native iPhone app for all the data.
The constellation gets even bigger and more segmented when you factor in Apple’s likely ambitions for immersive sports on the Vision Pro. Recently, Apple announced that it will bring immersive video — captured in 8K 3D with a 180-degree field of view and surround sound — to the MLS Season Pass. In one way, it’s just another sports content, but in another, immersive sports video is a completely different product.
There’s also the ecosystem issue: Apple Sports only exists on the iPhone, and when you factor that in, the calculus of what you can watch or consume and where becomes even more confusing.
So my suggestion is this: Make Apple Sports actually Apple Sports. It means putting everything in one place. All data in the game; all actual streaming; all added content. One unique Apple Sports experience under one roof with room to grow.
As I’ve written before, I’m particularly excited about Vision Pro’s potential to deliver truly immersive sports, and a unified Apple Sports app would be the perfect place to make that happen. Imagine being able to download one app, drag it onto your headphones, and then watch all the immersive sports content you’ll ever need under one roof. It might not seem like much, but I don’t think anyone can argue that the streaming and app experience is more seamless.
Make Apple Sports a team player
With all the above objections, I would first like to give credit to Apple — I don’t think its gradualist approach is the result of ignorance. It makes sense to roll out features and services in batches until you have enough of something to push into the app. It also helps to see what is needed and what is not before putting all your eggs in one basket.
However, I think that the time to reconsider that gradual attitude is fast approaching. Apple’s involvement in live sports is no longer just an experiment, it’s a non-trivial pillar of Apple’s streaming and iOS experience, and as such, it’s probably time to start treating it as such.
What I’m saying is simple: Give us the Apple Sports app we deserve — give us one where we can actually watch sports.